Friday, November 10, 2006

Get Gamm - Week Eleven Preview... Purdue at IllinoisTemple at Penn StateMinnesota at Michigan StateMichigan at IndianaWisconsin at Iowa (Tiebreaker)Ohio State at Northwestern

Purdue at IllinoisPurdue stepped a game closer to bowl eligibility last week and now has three games to win one more. But you know Tiller & Co. want to not only get to a bowl, but try and sneak into play for the Outback (Wisconsin, I believe has the Capital One all but locked up). Nine wins seems like a definite possibility with Illinois, Indiana and Hawaii left on the slate, but Illinois is getting better all the time, despite its 2-8 (1-5) record. The Illini stayed right in the game with Ohio State a weekend after nearly tripping up the Badgers. Purdue needs to contain Juice Williams or be faced with beating a rival and a long road trip to go bowling. Illinois is close – again – but doesn’t yet know how to finish off games. Purdue 24 – Illinois 20.

PUFan says … A completely biased pick here (why start something new now?), but was still shocked to see the early betting line with Illinois as a 3ptfavorite. Granted, the Illini have played very well of late, probablyeven better than my Boilers, but I still think Purdue's got more talentright now than Illinois. Have seen the Illini go up-n-down each week,playing well and following it up with a stinker game. After battlingtOSU for 60 minutes last weekend, the Boilers benefit from a bunch ofIllinois turnovers for some easy scores. Purdue 34, Illinois 20

Temple at Penn StateThe real story in this game is that Penn State coach Joe Paterno will be missing from the sidelines for the first time since 1977 and only the second time as head coach. Temple finally got a win after losing 20 straight games but this team got humiliated by Minnesota earlier this year and the Nittany Lions are better than the Gophers. The Nits, much like the Boilers, are seeking to secure a berth in the Outback Bowl. A big win here makes the blue and white 7-4 with lowly MSU at home to close the regular season. Penn State gets the offense rolling after two straight weeks of relying on the kicking game. Penn State 34 – Temple 10.

PUFan says … This should be a yawner from the opening kickoff. Temple's bad and the Nittany Lions are better than their showing at Wisconsin last week. Stay safe JoPa ... this is a game you can stay home without much worrying! Penn State 27, Temple 3

Minnesota at Michigan StateYou may be shocked to read this, but this is a bowl elimination game for both teams. Minnesota and MSU sit at 4-6 (1-5) and needing to win out to eek out a bowl berth. The Gophers are on a bit of a roll after hammering Indiana a week ago to the tune of 63-26. That’s the same Hoosier squad that scored 46-straight on the Spartans en route to a 46-21 win a week prior. It is Senior Day in East Lansing but perhaps the loudest cheers will be as fans see John L. Smith’s backside disappear through the tunnel. Michigan State played its best defensive game in a few years but still found a way to lose to Purdue last weekend. Will they send the seniors out on top? Neither team will make it to a bowl this year, but it is more common for Michigan State to win this sort of game with a berth on the line heading to State College. Incidentally, MSU has gone to Penn State five times since the Lions joined the Big Ten with a bowl bid on the line. Can you guess the outcome? 0-5. Back to this one. Stanton and Trannon put on a show in their finale and the Spartans win… Michigan State 38 – Minnesota 33.

PUFan says … At some point the bounces are going to go the way of Sparty and this seems to be the weekend. The last 25 minutes of the Northwestern gameaside, nothing has gone right for Michigan State in the last seven weeks. The final home game of the year for the Spartan seniors, along with aGophers squad which has just one win this year away from home andcertainly can't put up another 63pts like they did last weekend, shouldspell W-I-N for Michigan State. Spartans 26, Minnesota 13

Michigan at IndianaIf you’re like me, you pin-pointed this weekend as the possible sloppy showing for Michigan heading into the showdown with Ohio State. However, that happened with another Indiana team, last week. Ball State gave Michigan all they could handle and that doesn’t bode well for the Hoosiers. IU is better than Ball State but you know Michigan will not be looking ahead. They can’t afford to. Still, the cream and crimson will put up a fight. Kellen Lewis and James Hardy are a lethal combination and the Hoosier faithful might even sell out Memorial Stadium for a change. Look for Indiana to keep it tight early, but for Michigan to pull away with a big return from Steve Breaston and a huge day from Mike Hart. Michigan 37 – Indiana 17.

PUFan says … You think Terry Hoeppner called his brethren from the MAC over at Ball State to say "Thank You Very Much"! Nothing like waking up a sleepingWolverines squad the week before they come to Bloomington in which theynow realize they need to not only beat IU, but beat them BADLY for theirBCS standings ... oops! With Ohio State next week, Michigan won't playa bunch of the starters in the 2nd half if they jump out to big leadearly. Sorry Hoosier fans but I'm guessing they'll score early-n-oftenin the first half though! Michigan 41, Indiana 20

Wisconsin at IowaIowa is the third team (with Purdue and Penn State) fighting for a New Years Day bowl berth. Trouble is, the Hawkeyes just got taken out, at home no less, by hapless Northwestern. And, Iowa scored just seven points in the process. The black and gold will go to a bowl, but with each loss, the destination is less enchanting and the magnitude of said game less intriguing. Wisconsin is winning the old fashioned way – with defense and a stellar ground game. John Stocco just wins, baby, and P.J. Hill just flattens opposing defenses. Iowa will put up a fight and may even pull off the upset, but I like how the Badgers are rolling right now. Wisconsin 20 – Iowa 17.

PUFan says … This could certainly be the game-of-the-week in the Big Ten. The Badgers have been better than I thought and who'd have predicted theHawkeyes would be below Purdue and INDIANA through six games ofconference play?! The emotions will be running high in Iowa City asits the last game for the Hawks seniors along with the fact Wisconsin QBJohn Stocco is still nursing a shoulder injury he got toward the end ofthe Penn State game last Saturday. I like Iowa to get back on trackwith an upset home win. Iowa 20, Wisconsin 17

Ohio State at NorthwesternMuch like Michigan last week, the OSU struggle and subsequent wake-up call may have come a week earlier than expected. Illinois was still alive down to the last play of the game. Northwestern has lost the element of surprise itself by handling Iowa at Kinnick. This could be interesting and even entertaining. Ohio State won’t want to reveal too much and would love to shelve its stars as much as possible heading into the what should be an epic classic next weekend. Northwestern has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Its players and coaches are young and hungry to prove last week wasn’t a fluke. Still, Smith, Ginn, Gonzalez and Pittman trump Sutton any day of the week. Ohio State 30 – Northwestern 10.

PUFan says … The last speed-bump on the way to the Buckeyes/Wolverines matchup in Columbus next weekend, tOSU heads to a pumped up Northwestern squad this weekend. The Wildcats upset at Iowa last Saturday was amazing, but Ohio State's a whole other level of competition. Like Michigan at IU,Tressel won't want to play his first-team much in the 2nd half to avoidinjuries so they'll try to score early-n-often ... and they will. tOSU 33, N'Western 12

MSU job search update…Mooch and Butch Davis are out of the equation in East Lansing, but it sounds like interviews have been done with Brian Kelly, Todd Grantham, Charlie Strong and Bo Pelini with more likely to follow. Could one of these be the next Greg Schiano? State fans hope so!

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